Bamboo Forest Manager - Chapter 354



Real

“……”

Silence filled the conference room.

It was certainly not normal for the company’s executive to be unable to respond to a mere non-regular employee and just look around nervously.

However, this was not a situation where the normal company structure applied.

The youngest son of the chairman of Wooju Group.

Moreover, there were rumors that Chairman Kim was quite fond of his youngest son.

The executive couldn’t figure out what to do here.

A strange situation where everyone was watching the non-regular employee’s mood.

‘Even if it’s just up to here, I can get through this situation.’

If he just apologized roughly and passed it over, the executive would pretend he couldn’t win and let it go.

“Are you not going to answer?”

But if you’re going to abuse power, you have to do it properly once.

Rather than repeating it half-heartedly several times, just once, openly.

If you take control perfectly with that, power abuse becomes a great weapon.

“Ah, that… well.”

“I haven’t been here long. From what I’ve heard from the executive, it seems the manager doesn’t know either… Could you please tell me?”

“Ahem.”

The executive’s head was now filled with thoughts as if it would burst.

There were too many eyes watching for him to bend his pride and bow here.

But just staying still is also too much to handle.

After all, isn’t this a company?

‘I am the executive director. The opponent is just a temporary parachute.’

Let’s go strong.

If I bow my head here, the order within the company will also become chaotic.

No matter how much of an owner’s family they are, they’re just a college student.

So-!

– What is it?

The voice, heavy with resonance, had a compelling force that overwhelmed the room.

The pressure was palpable even though the person was not present.

Everyone’s gaze turned to the phone Kim Woo-jin was holding.

“Father, I contacted you to check in.”

Father.

“Ah.”

Just one word.

The moment he heard it, the executive director had no choice but to withdraw all the audacious delusions he had just had.

– You’re doing well, right?

Even without knowing the details, Chairman Kim immediately sensed that his brilliance was needed.

When he implied that the chairman had intentionally sent Kim Woo-jin, Kim Woo-jin responded with a small smile.

“What do I know? I’m just doing what the people here are teaching me.”

– Do well.

– You are the child who resembles me the most.

He doesn’t particularly like that phrase.

While answering so inwardly.

“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”

Kim Woo-jin answered with a smile.

After the call ended, he smacked his forehead, saying he had forgotten.

“Oh right, I was going to ask about the chairman’s method, but I forgot and just made a courtesy call.”

“Ah, that is-.”

“I’ll call again.”

“Wait a moment!”

The moment he saw the executive trying to make a call as if placing an additional order at a Chinese restaurant, he had no choice but to back down.

* * *

“Wow, I think this was the most spectacular moment of my career.”

Returning to the Digital Marketing Team, Deputy Oh shook his head in disbelief.

It was an incredible event.

A temporary employee of just one week pressuring the executive.

Even directly calling the chairman on the spot was really…

“I was much more nervous than when I was in the sales department.”

Deputy Choi, the second-in-command, still seemed to be in a daze.

“But did he help us? I’m not sure.”

“I think he did. He sat on our side and supported us.”

Chief Jung and Employee Kim were quite pleased, saying that Woojin Kim had helped them.

“It was quite satisfying. Watching the executive throw a tantrum was a bit… Right, Manager?”

Deputy Oh asked with a smile, but Manager Yoon’s expression was not very good.

“This is not right.”

He reached out to drink his coffee, but the cup was empty.

Pressing his eyes, he stood up from his seat.

“I’ll get the coffee!”

“No, I’ll go.”

Employee Kim quickly offered, but Manager Yoon refused and headed to the break room.

In the break room, Woojin Kim was there.

He seemed to be making coffee for the team, pouring boiling water into several cups.

“Ah, Manager. I was making coffee.”

Woojin Kim smiled and tried to hand over the coffee, but he shook his head.

“No, I’ll make mine.”

“Yes, understood.”

There was no further conversation.

Woojin Kim just silently continued making coffee.

An awkward silence hung between them.

From noble mtl dot com

The first to speak was Kim Woo-jin.

“I apologize for earlier.”

Kim Woo-jin apologized with an awkward smile.

“I think I overstepped my bounds.”

“……”

“But this is a company. I’m still a student, so I guess I’m inexperienced.”

“That’s right.”

Manager Yoon answered without realizing it.

He was surprised at himself for answering and his eyes widened.

As he slowly turned his head, he saw Kim Woo-jin, who had made coffee, looking at him.

Was it a mistake?

To that kid who even the executive was wary of?

Many questions arose, but the water had already been spilled.

Manager Yoon took a sip of the coffee he had made and said,

“The executive didn’t just get to that position. He’s not someone to be disregarded like that.”

“That’s right.”

“There is a hierarchy in the company. It’s similar to the military. There’s a reason why people with higher ranks are there. The executive had his reasons for saying what he did to us.”

“That’s correct.”

“I know you have an extraordinary background, different from ordinary people. But… right now, you’re just a week-old assistant in the digital marketing team.”

“……”

“You don’t know much about the work, and you lack the skills. Is it right to be so rude to the executive?”

“……”

“You’ll be gone after a short while, right? But think about the people who will remain after you leave.”

“……”

“I’m the breadwinner. I have to cling to this company for dear life.”

“……”

“You’ve done well so far. Just like the past week, except for today.”

A week of being there as if not there.

The time spent living through outside work.

Just do it like that.

Chief Yoon said so and turned his body.

“You’re right, Chief.”

He stops walking.

When Chief Yoon looked back at Kim Woo-jin, he was staring at the chief with a blank expression.

Suddenly, the words of Chairman Kim, which he had heard through his voice earlier, came to mind.

‘The son who resembles himself the most.’

Why is that?

Strangely, he found himself agreeing with it.

“I don’t know anything. I don’t know much about work, and I can’t do anything.”

“……”

“I’m serious. I’m just a college student. I can’t even understand when team members talk in English.”

There were so many technical terms.

The English he had learned so far seemed useless.

“I am incompetent and ignorant. I admit it.”

There was a sense of ease in his shrugging shoulders.

“But, Chief.”

Gulp.

Is it starting now?

Chief Yoon thought of his daughter.

Should he kneel and apologize now?

Countless thoughts crossed his mind.

“Even someone like me found your presentation convincing, Chief.”

What Kim Woo-jin said was unexpected.

“Pardon?”

He felt like he had become a subordinate without realizing it.

“You’ve accumulated a lot of years.”

“Ah, yes.”

“It’s not that you lack performance or ability, it’s just that you have no interest in office politics, so you’ve been pushed down the priority list by others.”

“How did you know that…”

Since Kim Woo-jin had nothing to do, he spent time learning about the internal structure and current situation of the digital marketing team.

“Manager Yoon, who works diligently, Assistant Manager Choi, who was sent over from the sales department after making a mistake, Assistant Manager Oh, who is passionate but leaves others struggling to keep up, Senior Staff Jung, who can’t express his own opinions because he’s too busy reading the room, and Staff Kim, who absorbs and learns like a sponge.”

“……”

“Manager, these are the people I just protected. Your presentation wasn’t just yours; it belonged to the team.”

It was unexpected.

I never imagined he had been observing the digital marketing team so closely.

“At this company, all you need to do is work. Performance is everything. Ultimately, you prove your value through your abilities.”

He’s right.

He’s right, but…

“So, how are you feeling now?”

The digital marketing team hasn’t even had the chance to demonstrate their abilities.

Even though they just showed their skills, it almost fell apart in the end.

“But this is who I am.”

Manager Yoon sighed.

He’s not wrong.

The company doesn’t even give them the opportunity to show their abilities.

“Office politics? Tricks? Workarounds? I don’t know anything about that.”

“……”

“I know what you’re saying. I know that my attitude is actually holding the team back.”

Manager Yoon was a paradoxical person.

“Even so, I don’t want to use those methods. Even a salaried worker has their own beliefs.”

Competent, yet incompetent.

And.

“Haha.”

Kim Woo-jin liked that kind of thing.

“Who told you to use tricks?”

“Hmm?”

“Who told you to play politics behind the scenes?”

Isn’t it funny?

“Look again at who is in your team right now.”

There’s no need for tricks.

To the point of trampling over office politics.

“The ability to effectively use a team member’s skills is also a team leader’s ability, isn’t it?”

Isn’t there overwhelming power in the current digital marketing team?

“Go with the straightforward approach.”

He handed over the coffee he had just brewed.

It was the coffee that Manager Yoon had already refused.

“Honestly, push through with strength. Prove it with your ability.”

Here, isn’t there a sword that you can wield entirely according to your will, because of your ignorance?

“The ones whispering behind your back are just that insignificant. Fake ones who don’t have the ability are taking up positions one by one.”

Manager Yoon, looking down at the paper cup handed over by Kim Woo-jin, felt his body tremble.

His emotions were rising.

A temporary worker who knows nothing about the job.

An external worker who goes around as he pleases because he has to attend lectures.

Nevertheless, the enormous power of the chairman behind him.

Manager Yoon felt like he could finally understand.

“Manager.”

That a ruler doesn’t need to know everything.

“Go and show them what the real thing is.”

Just make people follow you, that’s all.

Manager Yoon took the coffee he handed over and gulped it down.

The cold coffee.

It was much sweeter and tastier than any coffee he had ever had in his company life.